GUEST: Bud Torcom

I’ve wanted to treat people the way I want to be treated and work in the kind of workplace I’d want to be working in.

As a digital marketing company, being in the office for normal business hours isn’t necessary.

We’re on a constant, steady drip of the stress hormone, cortisol. OUr bodies did not evolve for a constant cortisol drip. Anxiety is making us sick.

Bud’s not sure an anxiety free workplace is possible. Even so, he’s on a mission to try… to see if it’s possible.

The people of Mazama Media are the face of the company -- and the interface of the customers. Happy team members create happy clients.

Human Prairie dog -- When each member of the team looks out for the interests of the others, then all individuals feel they can afford to look out for collective interests.

“It’s my responsibility [to take on the stress].”

The message to the team… “The thing that just happened is not going to mean you don’t eat tonight.” You’re not going to lose your job. We’re going to learn from the way things went down.

We’re anticipating dips on the path of growth. Setting expectations of inevitable setbacks helps to smooth out the experience people have of the ups and downs of any business.

“Blame the process, not the person.”Where did the problem hit? What can we learn about our processes and procedures from each setback, failure, or bump in the road.People want to have purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.

Checklists help insure success. Set people up for success.

When you work together as a team, and with the support of technology, much fewer errors are missed and less slips through the cracks. Both team redundancy and technology backup makes for effective performance.

Processes and systems get refined over time. Learn from the data and refine as you go.

The message to the team, “These processes and checklists are here to support you.”

Limit the number of things on your list of to dos. A huge list is a stresser. Focus on the few that will have the greatest impact.

Your team is going to be right about their priorities 90% of the time. Go with their gut.

The presence of ping-pong and other games in the modern workplace does have a work relevant role to play -- to give the mind a break during which breakthrough can happen.

Bud fires paying clients when they treat his team in ways that he doesn’t want people to be treated.

Prospects who will create anxiety in the organization are disqualified as clients.

Where are the places to relieve stress and anxiety from the whole system -- the team, leadership, and clients. Stress is cumulative and contagious.

Prevent burnout by defining limits. Setting limits can enhance performance because results will have to come from effective behaviors over hustle.

Delegation is a leader’s force magnifier.

Richard Branson says that your team comes first, not clients. This is because people who know that someone’s got their back are freed up to care for the clients.

Enough high-level thinking. Here are seven specific actions you can take to reduce anxiety in your organization.

Blame the process, not the person.

Build a got your back culture.

You can get people to do more through praise than through condemning. So praise people.

Thank people frequently.

Give people the ability to create. Give them agency to affect the work they do and the way they do it.

Put relationships first. “It’s never about the thing. It’s always about the relationship.” Build relationships that will deliver results.